I love Juventus and love playing Juventus in this game, so thought I would write this opening season guide for any one else who may like to play with the Old Lady.
Note - the guide is written for the full game based on the 13.3.2 (Jan '13 transfer window) update.
To help navigate, the guide is broken down into the following sections:
1) Starting Point
2) Welcome to Bianconeri
3) Staff Assessment & Responsibilities
- Managerial
- Coaching Staff
- Physios
- Scouting Team
4) Tactics & Players Overview
5) Tactics
6) Players
- First Team
- Backup Players
7) Transfers
- In
- Out
- Future Targets
8) Training
- Team
- Individual
- Match Preparation
9) Miscellaneous
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Starting Point
When starting the game, I personally like to set the following countries for my game's working database (this is personal preference and entirely up to you and your PC's performance): Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and, of course, Italy.
Once set, I recommend setting your own profile up as Juventus being your favoured club with yourself as a retired international footballer. Again this is personal preference and makes life a little easier with transfers and team management.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Welcome to Bianconeri (the white-blacks)
You are greeted by the club's Managing Director Giuseppe Marotta and handed a one year contract worth €29.5k per week and invited to join a meeting with the Chairman Andrea Agnelli followed by a meeting with your Assistant Manager Angelo Alessio.
During these meetings, some initial agreements will be set which are all based on your own preferences. These are mine:
o Initial Transfer / Wage Budget (season expectations) - Title Challenge €15m / €2m. You can increase this to Winner €19.75m / €2.2m if you prefer to have some extra managerial pressure.
o Assistant Manager to arrange friendlies, but I keep match control and the Assistant Manager to manage the Reserve and Youth Teams using the same formation/tactics as I set for the First Team. I will however keep an eye on the best 3 or 4 youngsters myself to make sure their training is set how I like (more on that later).
I would also urge you to meet your staff and attend the press conference to meet the media.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Staff Assessment and Responsibilities
- Managerial
Director of Football - Fabio Paratici: World Class reputation and I wouldn't change him. Personally I don't have any responsibilities set for the DoF, prefering to keep control of all signings myself. If you really want to penny pinch you could sack him, but I don't see that as necessary.
Assistant Manager - Angelo Alessio: A very good assistant and someone who I don't replace. Use him to set up friendlies, run your Reserves team and dedicate as your Tactical Coach (4.5 stars).
Head of Youth Development - Gianluca Pessotto: Great judge of ability and potential skills (18) although I little lacking in the working with youngsters area (11). As he is earning €18.5k p/w with a contract that runs until 30.6.2014 he'll cost a small fortune to replace so keep him. Someone to potentially replace towards the end of his contract.
Under 20s Manager - Marco Baroni: Poor judge of ability, potential and working with youngsters. Cheap contract too (€1.4k p/w) so someone to replace once you have your coaching staff finalised. Salvatore Cerrone at Inter could be a decent option here.
Under 20s Assistant Manager - Fabrizio Del Rosso: Not going to set the world alight but he's ok. There are better options around but you could do worse, plus someone decided to give him a 3 year contract worth €5.25k p/w so will cost a fair bit to "mutually terminate". I'd keep him.
- Coaching Staff
Badly lacking in this area and should be your first port of call. In total (Senior and Youth coaches) you are advised to have 10 coaches - you start with 6 and only 2 of those are senior coaches:
Massimo Carrera - 4.5 star Defensive Coach. No brainer: keep him.
Giovanni Rossi - 4 star tactics coach, but you already have your Assistant Manager to look after that side of things. He has 3.5 stars for most other categories and I choose to keep him on to help out with one category. Offer Mutual Termination if you like.
This leaves you with an Attacking Coach, Shooting Coach and Ball Control Coach to find.
Attacking - Attillo Lombardo. 4 star coach from Man City.
Shooting - Chico Fraga. Unassigned Brazilian 4 star coach. Note - you won't be able to find him in the list until you get a Brazilian scout (see below).
Ball Control - Giuseppe Colombino. 4.5 star coach from Catania.
Goalkeeping Coaches - A little weird here. You are advised to have 2 but you actually have 5 employed. Claudio Filippi is a 4.5 star coach and should be kept, but the other 4 coaches are all Under 20s Coaches. To get another senior coach you either need to get rid of all 4 of the rest and recruit a new one or get rid of 3 and offer one of the under 20s coaches a new contract as a regular coach (2 have 4 stars).
Fitness Coaches - Don't scrimp on this, get the best you can. You already have 5 employed (4 advised) and I would replace them all. DO NOT sack them all at the same time though, otherwise you will be left with no one covering fitness training for a week or so until your new coaches arrive - stagger the sackings and new arrivals so that you always have at least 2 fitness coaches working. Valter Di Salvo should be your first signing.
Under 20s Coaches - Low priority and I largely ignore them at first. All are at least 3 stars so are fine for the time being.
- Physios
You have 7 but are advised to have 6. Three of the Physios have low Physio attibutes (Randelli, Scolaro and Garbiero) so I would terminate their contracts and get in 2 new ones with Physio attributes of 20 (Grani and Renshaw).
- Scouting Team
Chief Scout - Carlos Vargas. Clearly married the Chairman's daughter to get the job, judging by his lack of stats. He's ok but I'd ultimately look to replace him.
Scouts - you are advised to have 14 and you actually have 8. As such, you have a "Sporadic" World Scouting knowledge, and little outside of Europe. A Brazilian scout is your first priority as your Brazilian knowledge is non-existent. Go for Gushiken from Arsenal. The rest is then your preference, just make sure they have decent stats in judging ability, potential and (optionally) youngsters.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Tactics & Players Overview
These are inextricably linked, with the shape of your squad based around the tactical formation you wish to employ. Ultimately this is determined solely on how you prefer playing the game, however I detail below my preference in this area based around the strength of the playing staff and the transfer budget you have available. I managed to win Serie A and the Champions Cup in my first season with this, beating Man Utd, Barcelona and Bayern on the way to the Final against Real Madrid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Tactics
I wholeheartedly suggest you follow this thread and download the tactic http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...414-jp-woodys-conte-style-3-5-2-13-2-3-a.html
Please please please read through the thread, paying particular attention to drhay's suggested tweaks and discussion concerning mentality. Don't just read the opening post.
I actually ended up creating 2 other tactics in game, both identical to JP's original tactic but setting one tactic's strategy to Control, the other to Standard.
Based on this formation of 3-1-4-2 (or 3-5-2 if you prefer), I will go through each position, my favoured player for that position, the rest of my squad for back up and finally transfers in / out.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Players
- First Team
Goalkeeper. A complete no-brainer here. Gianluigi Buffon, possibly the best goalie in the game and Juventus captain.
View attachment 316456
Ball Playing Defender (Left). Giorgio Chiellini. Vice Captain, rock solid and has a demon long throw.
View attachment 316457
Ball Playing Defender (Centre). Leonardo Bonucci. My player of the year, nothing got past him and frequently man of the match.
View attachment 316458
Ball Playing Defender (Right). Andrea Barzagli. The final piece of the defensive jigsaw, bringing a wealth of experience.
View attachment 316469
Deep Lying Playmaker (Defend) in the Defensive Midfield position. Andrea Pirlo, the maestro.
View attachment 316472
Centre Midfield Attack (left). Claudio Marchisio. A Juventus player from youth. Attacks, defends, passes and scores goals. With Vidal (see below) arguably the most formidable midfield partnership in the game.
View attachment 316475
Centre Midfield Support (right). Arturo Vidal. Feisty Chilean that will as soon kick you as the ball. Huge work ethic, tackles and passes for fun. Don't ever sell him.
View attachment 316476
Left Wing Support. Kwadwo Asamoah. Before the 13.3 update he was listed as a central/defensive midfielder who could also play left wing. Now he is very helpfully listed as a Left Winger who can also play central midfield or wing back. The tactic needs the wingers to have good stamina and defensive capabilities and Asamoah fills the left wing bill perfectly. Train Crossing into him.
View attachment 316478
Right Wing Support. Simone Pepe. A terrier up and down the right wing, never knows when to stop. Led my team in goal assists and ground covered. Also my only player to get sent off over the entire season - I fined him, he wasn't happy and promptly got himself sent off again in his first match after suspension, the git. Again, train Crossing into him and set his new position as Right Wing.
View attachment 316483
Target Man Support. Nicolas Bendtner. I don't particularly rate him in real life but in the game with these tactics he scores for fun. Got a hat-trick at the San Siro against AC Milan. 194cm (6'4") target man is hard to beat - but you get someone even better for free (Llorente) at the start of your second season. Bendtner starts the save as being on loan for the season from Arsenal. In January I made the move permanent so I have a decent Target Man backup in my 2nd season (see below).
View attachment 316481
Poacher Attack. Alessandro Matri (rotation). Good pace, finishing, anticipation and composure. My leading goal scorer with 27 in 40 appearances. Can also play as Target Man.
View attachment 316486
Poacher Attack. Sebastian Giovinco (rotation). Prior to 13.3 he was listed as an Attacking Midfielder, and his stats are probably better suited to an Advanced Playmaker or Trequartista, but had an excellent season as Poacher, with 24 goals from 33 appearances and 15 assists. Juventus born and bred.
View attachment 316487
- Backup Players
Goalkeeper - Marco Storari.
Warms the sub's bench. No challenge to Buffon but there just in case.
Central Defenders - Federico Peluso (loan from Atalanta), Martin Caceres.
Both decent. Caceres is your main focus here as he is not a loan signing. Great potential.
DLP - Paul Pogba. Star of the future and a good alternative to Pirlo when he needs a rest. Also good to give him some games to help his development. Make sure Pirlo plays in all the important matches and rotate in Pogba when Pirlo is either knackered or you are firm favourites, especially at home.
Central Midfield - Simone Padoin and Luca Marrone. I prefer Padoin as cover for Marchisio with Marrone as backup for Vidal. Padoin can also play on either wing if needed.
Left Wing - Paolo De Ceglie. He's actually a wing back, but set his training schedule as Winger. A solid backup to the excellent Asamoah and saves you paying out for a new face.
Right Wing - Emanuele Giaccherini. A very close race between him and Pepe for the starting spot, especially with Pepe starting the season injured. Can also play left wing and central midfield if you hit an injury crisis.
Strikers - both Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella can come in a do a very good job if you need, in either position.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Transfers
- Players In
(i) Raul Albiol
You play with 3 central defenders, so a decent amount of quality cover is needed. You have 5 CBs already, I prefer 6. Raul Albiol is transfer listed at the start of the game and should be bought. Pushes Barzagli hard for a starting spot, which could become irresistible in season 2.
(ii) Fernando Llorente
He is already set to join Juventus for free at the start of your 2nd season in charge. He is arguably the best Target Man in the game. Get your team used to playing with a target man (Bendtner) in your first season so Llorente can hit the ground running. Bendtner becomes backup to this guy.
(iii) Nicolas Bendtner
Starts the game on loan with you from Arsenal. Assuming he does well for you during the season in the Target Man position (he did for me), make his loan permanent before it expires so you have a good backup for Llorente in season 2.
- Players Out
(i) Nicolas Anelka
Surplus to requirements. Should be able to get €2.5m for him.
(ii) Stephan Lichtsteiner
Will attract interest from the top European Clubs and should easily fetch €15m, more if you are lucky. If Juventus wasn't so spoiled for choice in the right wing area I'd keep him.
(iii)Mauricio Isla
Loan him out for the season. Primarily a right wing back, but can play on the wing, defensive midfield or central midfield. Great all-rounder for cover in season 2. I got €300k per month from Spurs for his loan deal.
(iv) Reserves
Make sure you go through the Reserves team and transfer list / loan out anyone you see fit.
- Future Targets
Your two main priorities are replacements for Buffon and Pirlo. Nothing urgent, but something you will need to turn your mind to soon.
For Buffon, Tim Krul is a good option. In 13.3 your options are more limited than in previous updates until your club's reputation increases a lot, so don't expect the top goalies or even highly rated youngsters such as Ter Stegen to want to come to the club for at least a couple of seasons (and assuming you are successful).
For Pirlo, how do you replace the irreplaceable? Pogba comes on leaps and bounds and could ultimately provide a decent option, especially if you train some PPMs into him. Nuri Sahin is another contender, however he seems to be permanently on loan so can be hard to get. Ideally I would go for Busquets, but he is at Barcelona and extremely unlikely to want to come to Turin, at least intially anyway. Bottom line, you are looking for someone with passing skills, composure and vision who can play in the DM position as a Deep Lying Playmaker.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Training
- Team
The tactics mentioned above will take a few months to become fully fluid, unless you have team training set to tactics / very high for a while, but I wouldn't recommend that. Personally I like to set Tactics / Very High for a couple of weeks at the start of the season, followed by a week of Team Cohesion / High and a further week of Fitness / High, before dropping to my default setting of Balanced / Average. Other people like to do things differently, so whatever floats your boat.
- Individual
For the Senior Squad, except for those few individuals mentioned above, I set Individual Training to their respective roles ie., Ballplaying Defender, Target Man etc at Average intensity. Keep an eye on them throughout the season to make sure they are doing well. After about 5 months Marchisio didnt seem to like the Central Midfielder taining I had set so I switched him to Box to Box Midfielder. Possibly a bug.
For the 3 or 4 hot prospects you have in the Reserves / Under 20s, make sure you set their individual training as well, don't just leave it up to the assistant.
- Match Preparation
(i) If we are favourites, Attacking Movement.
(ii) If I am wary of opponents playing defensively, Defending Set Pieces - to counter any threat they may have from nicking a goal from a corner or free kick.
(iii) If we are roughly equal away from home, defensive positioning.
(iv) Underdogs away from home, either Teamwork or Attacking Set Pieces (we may nick a goal from a corner).
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Miscellaneous
Make sure you talk to the Board fairly early to upgrade your training facilities and to find a new feeder club. When asking the Board for these, always make sure you use a financial or profile argument to get them to do it.
When selecting a new feeder club, I was presented with 3 options in the USA, one in Japan and one in China. All would provide a decent financial incentive so up to you who you choose.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hopefully this guide has whetted your appetite to try your hand at playing one of the oldest and grandest clubs in the world - truly a sleeping giant.
Note - the guide is written for the full game based on the 13.3.2 (Jan '13 transfer window) update.
To help navigate, the guide is broken down into the following sections:
1) Starting Point
2) Welcome to Bianconeri
3) Staff Assessment & Responsibilities
- Managerial
- Coaching Staff
- Physios
- Scouting Team
4) Tactics & Players Overview
5) Tactics
6) Players
- First Team
- Backup Players
7) Transfers
- In
- Out
- Future Targets
8) Training
- Team
- Individual
- Match Preparation
9) Miscellaneous
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Starting Point
When starting the game, I personally like to set the following countries for my game's working database (this is personal preference and entirely up to you and your PC's performance): Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Holland, Portugal, Spain and, of course, Italy.
Once set, I recommend setting your own profile up as Juventus being your favoured club with yourself as a retired international footballer. Again this is personal preference and makes life a little easier with transfers and team management.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Welcome to Bianconeri (the white-blacks)
You are greeted by the club's Managing Director Giuseppe Marotta and handed a one year contract worth €29.5k per week and invited to join a meeting with the Chairman Andrea Agnelli followed by a meeting with your Assistant Manager Angelo Alessio.
During these meetings, some initial agreements will be set which are all based on your own preferences. These are mine:
o Initial Transfer / Wage Budget (season expectations) - Title Challenge €15m / €2m. You can increase this to Winner €19.75m / €2.2m if you prefer to have some extra managerial pressure.
o Assistant Manager to arrange friendlies, but I keep match control and the Assistant Manager to manage the Reserve and Youth Teams using the same formation/tactics as I set for the First Team. I will however keep an eye on the best 3 or 4 youngsters myself to make sure their training is set how I like (more on that later).
I would also urge you to meet your staff and attend the press conference to meet the media.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Staff Assessment and Responsibilities
- Managerial
Director of Football - Fabio Paratici: World Class reputation and I wouldn't change him. Personally I don't have any responsibilities set for the DoF, prefering to keep control of all signings myself. If you really want to penny pinch you could sack him, but I don't see that as necessary.
Assistant Manager - Angelo Alessio: A very good assistant and someone who I don't replace. Use him to set up friendlies, run your Reserves team and dedicate as your Tactical Coach (4.5 stars).
Head of Youth Development - Gianluca Pessotto: Great judge of ability and potential skills (18) although I little lacking in the working with youngsters area (11). As he is earning €18.5k p/w with a contract that runs until 30.6.2014 he'll cost a small fortune to replace so keep him. Someone to potentially replace towards the end of his contract.
Under 20s Manager - Marco Baroni: Poor judge of ability, potential and working with youngsters. Cheap contract too (€1.4k p/w) so someone to replace once you have your coaching staff finalised. Salvatore Cerrone at Inter could be a decent option here.
Under 20s Assistant Manager - Fabrizio Del Rosso: Not going to set the world alight but he's ok. There are better options around but you could do worse, plus someone decided to give him a 3 year contract worth €5.25k p/w so will cost a fair bit to "mutually terminate". I'd keep him.
- Coaching Staff
Badly lacking in this area and should be your first port of call. In total (Senior and Youth coaches) you are advised to have 10 coaches - you start with 6 and only 2 of those are senior coaches:
Massimo Carrera - 4.5 star Defensive Coach. No brainer: keep him.
Giovanni Rossi - 4 star tactics coach, but you already have your Assistant Manager to look after that side of things. He has 3.5 stars for most other categories and I choose to keep him on to help out with one category. Offer Mutual Termination if you like.
This leaves you with an Attacking Coach, Shooting Coach and Ball Control Coach to find.
Attacking - Attillo Lombardo. 4 star coach from Man City.
Shooting - Chico Fraga. Unassigned Brazilian 4 star coach. Note - you won't be able to find him in the list until you get a Brazilian scout (see below).
Ball Control - Giuseppe Colombino. 4.5 star coach from Catania.
Goalkeeping Coaches - A little weird here. You are advised to have 2 but you actually have 5 employed. Claudio Filippi is a 4.5 star coach and should be kept, but the other 4 coaches are all Under 20s Coaches. To get another senior coach you either need to get rid of all 4 of the rest and recruit a new one or get rid of 3 and offer one of the under 20s coaches a new contract as a regular coach (2 have 4 stars).
Fitness Coaches - Don't scrimp on this, get the best you can. You already have 5 employed (4 advised) and I would replace them all. DO NOT sack them all at the same time though, otherwise you will be left with no one covering fitness training for a week or so until your new coaches arrive - stagger the sackings and new arrivals so that you always have at least 2 fitness coaches working. Valter Di Salvo should be your first signing.
Under 20s Coaches - Low priority and I largely ignore them at first. All are at least 3 stars so are fine for the time being.
- Physios
You have 7 but are advised to have 6. Three of the Physios have low Physio attibutes (Randelli, Scolaro and Garbiero) so I would terminate their contracts and get in 2 new ones with Physio attributes of 20 (Grani and Renshaw).
- Scouting Team
Chief Scout - Carlos Vargas. Clearly married the Chairman's daughter to get the job, judging by his lack of stats. He's ok but I'd ultimately look to replace him.
Scouts - you are advised to have 14 and you actually have 8. As such, you have a "Sporadic" World Scouting knowledge, and little outside of Europe. A Brazilian scout is your first priority as your Brazilian knowledge is non-existent. Go for Gushiken from Arsenal. The rest is then your preference, just make sure they have decent stats in judging ability, potential and (optionally) youngsters.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Tactics & Players Overview
These are inextricably linked, with the shape of your squad based around the tactical formation you wish to employ. Ultimately this is determined solely on how you prefer playing the game, however I detail below my preference in this area based around the strength of the playing staff and the transfer budget you have available. I managed to win Serie A and the Champions Cup in my first season with this, beating Man Utd, Barcelona and Bayern on the way to the Final against Real Madrid.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Tactics
I wholeheartedly suggest you follow this thread and download the tactic http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/foot...414-jp-woodys-conte-style-3-5-2-13-2-3-a.html
Please please please read through the thread, paying particular attention to drhay's suggested tweaks and discussion concerning mentality. Don't just read the opening post.
I actually ended up creating 2 other tactics in game, both identical to JP's original tactic but setting one tactic's strategy to Control, the other to Standard.
Based on this formation of 3-1-4-2 (or 3-5-2 if you prefer), I will go through each position, my favoured player for that position, the rest of my squad for back up and finally transfers in / out.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Players
- First Team
Goalkeeper. A complete no-brainer here. Gianluigi Buffon, possibly the best goalie in the game and Juventus captain.
View attachment 316456
Ball Playing Defender (Left). Giorgio Chiellini. Vice Captain, rock solid and has a demon long throw.
View attachment 316457
Ball Playing Defender (Centre). Leonardo Bonucci. My player of the year, nothing got past him and frequently man of the match.
View attachment 316458
Ball Playing Defender (Right). Andrea Barzagli. The final piece of the defensive jigsaw, bringing a wealth of experience.
View attachment 316469
Deep Lying Playmaker (Defend) in the Defensive Midfield position. Andrea Pirlo, the maestro.
View attachment 316472
Centre Midfield Attack (left). Claudio Marchisio. A Juventus player from youth. Attacks, defends, passes and scores goals. With Vidal (see below) arguably the most formidable midfield partnership in the game.
View attachment 316475
Centre Midfield Support (right). Arturo Vidal. Feisty Chilean that will as soon kick you as the ball. Huge work ethic, tackles and passes for fun. Don't ever sell him.
View attachment 316476
Left Wing Support. Kwadwo Asamoah. Before the 13.3 update he was listed as a central/defensive midfielder who could also play left wing. Now he is very helpfully listed as a Left Winger who can also play central midfield or wing back. The tactic needs the wingers to have good stamina and defensive capabilities and Asamoah fills the left wing bill perfectly. Train Crossing into him.
View attachment 316478
Right Wing Support. Simone Pepe. A terrier up and down the right wing, never knows when to stop. Led my team in goal assists and ground covered. Also my only player to get sent off over the entire season - I fined him, he wasn't happy and promptly got himself sent off again in his first match after suspension, the git. Again, train Crossing into him and set his new position as Right Wing.
View attachment 316483
Target Man Support. Nicolas Bendtner. I don't particularly rate him in real life but in the game with these tactics he scores for fun. Got a hat-trick at the San Siro against AC Milan. 194cm (6'4") target man is hard to beat - but you get someone even better for free (Llorente) at the start of your second season. Bendtner starts the save as being on loan for the season from Arsenal. In January I made the move permanent so I have a decent Target Man backup in my 2nd season (see below).
View attachment 316481
Poacher Attack. Alessandro Matri (rotation). Good pace, finishing, anticipation and composure. My leading goal scorer with 27 in 40 appearances. Can also play as Target Man.
View attachment 316486
Poacher Attack. Sebastian Giovinco (rotation). Prior to 13.3 he was listed as an Attacking Midfielder, and his stats are probably better suited to an Advanced Playmaker or Trequartista, but had an excellent season as Poacher, with 24 goals from 33 appearances and 15 assists. Juventus born and bred.
View attachment 316487
- Backup Players
Goalkeeper - Marco Storari.
Warms the sub's bench. No challenge to Buffon but there just in case.
Central Defenders - Federico Peluso (loan from Atalanta), Martin Caceres.
Both decent. Caceres is your main focus here as he is not a loan signing. Great potential.
DLP - Paul Pogba. Star of the future and a good alternative to Pirlo when he needs a rest. Also good to give him some games to help his development. Make sure Pirlo plays in all the important matches and rotate in Pogba when Pirlo is either knackered or you are firm favourites, especially at home.
Central Midfield - Simone Padoin and Luca Marrone. I prefer Padoin as cover for Marchisio with Marrone as backup for Vidal. Padoin can also play on either wing if needed.
Left Wing - Paolo De Ceglie. He's actually a wing back, but set his training schedule as Winger. A solid backup to the excellent Asamoah and saves you paying out for a new face.
Right Wing - Emanuele Giaccherini. A very close race between him and Pepe for the starting spot, especially with Pepe starting the season injured. Can also play left wing and central midfield if you hit an injury crisis.
Strikers - both Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella can come in a do a very good job if you need, in either position.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Transfers
- Players In
(i) Raul Albiol
You play with 3 central defenders, so a decent amount of quality cover is needed. You have 5 CBs already, I prefer 6. Raul Albiol is transfer listed at the start of the game and should be bought. Pushes Barzagli hard for a starting spot, which could become irresistible in season 2.
(ii) Fernando Llorente
He is already set to join Juventus for free at the start of your 2nd season in charge. He is arguably the best Target Man in the game. Get your team used to playing with a target man (Bendtner) in your first season so Llorente can hit the ground running. Bendtner becomes backup to this guy.
(iii) Nicolas Bendtner
Starts the game on loan with you from Arsenal. Assuming he does well for you during the season in the Target Man position (he did for me), make his loan permanent before it expires so you have a good backup for Llorente in season 2.
- Players Out
(i) Nicolas Anelka
Surplus to requirements. Should be able to get €2.5m for him.
(ii) Stephan Lichtsteiner
Will attract interest from the top European Clubs and should easily fetch €15m, more if you are lucky. If Juventus wasn't so spoiled for choice in the right wing area I'd keep him.
(iii)Mauricio Isla
Loan him out for the season. Primarily a right wing back, but can play on the wing, defensive midfield or central midfield. Great all-rounder for cover in season 2. I got €300k per month from Spurs for his loan deal.
(iv) Reserves
Make sure you go through the Reserves team and transfer list / loan out anyone you see fit.
- Future Targets
Your two main priorities are replacements for Buffon and Pirlo. Nothing urgent, but something you will need to turn your mind to soon.
For Buffon, Tim Krul is a good option. In 13.3 your options are more limited than in previous updates until your club's reputation increases a lot, so don't expect the top goalies or even highly rated youngsters such as Ter Stegen to want to come to the club for at least a couple of seasons (and assuming you are successful).
For Pirlo, how do you replace the irreplaceable? Pogba comes on leaps and bounds and could ultimately provide a decent option, especially if you train some PPMs into him. Nuri Sahin is another contender, however he seems to be permanently on loan so can be hard to get. Ideally I would go for Busquets, but he is at Barcelona and extremely unlikely to want to come to Turin, at least intially anyway. Bottom line, you are looking for someone with passing skills, composure and vision who can play in the DM position as a Deep Lying Playmaker.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Training
- Team
The tactics mentioned above will take a few months to become fully fluid, unless you have team training set to tactics / very high for a while, but I wouldn't recommend that. Personally I like to set Tactics / Very High for a couple of weeks at the start of the season, followed by a week of Team Cohesion / High and a further week of Fitness / High, before dropping to my default setting of Balanced / Average. Other people like to do things differently, so whatever floats your boat.
- Individual
For the Senior Squad, except for those few individuals mentioned above, I set Individual Training to their respective roles ie., Ballplaying Defender, Target Man etc at Average intensity. Keep an eye on them throughout the season to make sure they are doing well. After about 5 months Marchisio didnt seem to like the Central Midfielder taining I had set so I switched him to Box to Box Midfielder. Possibly a bug.
For the 3 or 4 hot prospects you have in the Reserves / Under 20s, make sure you set their individual training as well, don't just leave it up to the assistant.
- Match Preparation
(i) If we are favourites, Attacking Movement.
(ii) If I am wary of opponents playing defensively, Defending Set Pieces - to counter any threat they may have from nicking a goal from a corner or free kick.
(iii) If we are roughly equal away from home, defensive positioning.
(iv) Underdogs away from home, either Teamwork or Attacking Set Pieces (we may nick a goal from a corner).
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Miscellaneous
Make sure you talk to the Board fairly early to upgrade your training facilities and to find a new feeder club. When asking the Board for these, always make sure you use a financial or profile argument to get them to do it.
When selecting a new feeder club, I was presented with 3 options in the USA, one in Japan and one in China. All would provide a decent financial incentive so up to you who you choose.
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Hopefully this guide has whetted your appetite to try your hand at playing one of the oldest and grandest clubs in the world - truly a sleeping giant.
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